Steam vacuum-pump.



Patented luly 4, |899.

vw. R. EMERSON. STEAM VACUUM PUMP.

(Application med oct` s, 139s.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Winesses CwJm/w Patented luly 4, |899. w. n. manson.

STEAM VADUUM PUMP.

(Lpplicatiog hd Oct. 5, 18.98.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Winesses iu. SUM

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No. 628,432. y Patented July 4, |899.

w. n. EMEnsoYN.

vSTEAM VACUUM PUMP.

(Application iva octN 5, 189s.)

No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet a.

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3o supplemental valves.

UNITED STATES'- TPATENT OFFICE.A`

VILLIAM R. EMERSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE COLUMBIA IIYDRAULICAND ENGI- NEERING COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM VACUUM-PUMP.

sPEcIFrcA'rIoN forming part of Leu-,ers ramene No. 628,432, dated ruiy 4,1899.

l Application filed-October 5, 1898. Serial No. 692,669. (No model.)

io mitted to the chamber wherein the water enters and presses upon the water to force it out. One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of simple construction so organized that the expansion and contraction, or either,

i of the metal walls of the steam-water chamber or other part shall operate supplemental valves controlling the inlet of steam to a valve-chest wherein is located a main valve or valves which control the admission of steam zo to the said chamber.

The invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of the improved steam vacuum-pump, wherein the lever is connected so as to shift the supplemental valve one way by the expansion of the chamber. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the upper part of a pump, showing a modification in the` mechanism for operating the Here the lever is soarranged as to be shifted one way by expansion of the chamber and the other way by the contraction of the chamber. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section showing the connections of the condensing-pipe between the'chamber anddischarge water-pipe. Fig. et is a side elevation of the upper part of the apparatus and shows a' modification of the lever con nections by which the supplemental valve is 4o shifted one way by the contraction of the chamber and the other way by a spring. Eig. 5 is a detail showing a section view of the airinlet valve. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a two-cylinder apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the vertical steam-waterchamber,into which water is drawn from a supply-pipe B by the condensation of steam within said chamber and the action of atmospheric pressure, and then the same wateris forced out of said chamber and through the dischargepipe C by the pressure of a fresh supply of steam entered into the chamber from pipe d. The chamber A is a cylinder with top head a and bottom head c. A triple-branch pipe F has one connection attachedV to the supply-pipe B, a second attached to the bottom head of the chamber, and a third attached tothe discharge-pipe C. A check-valve b opens from the supply-pipe B into the triple branch E to allow water to enter the chamber A, but prevent its return to said supply-pipe, and a check-valve cppensfrom the triple branch to the discharge-pipe C to allow water to flow from the chamber A to said pipe, but prevent its return. .The steam-supply pipe d enters through the top head a, of the chamber, and within the latter is a baffle plate orspreader d', secured adjoining the open end of said pipe. A valve-chest E is attached to the steampipe, and a suitable main slide-valve f moves in the chest to open and close the passageway for steam. In Figs. l and 2 a piston slide-valve is employed in this chest. Attached to the chest is a supplemental-valve chamber g, whose ends are open to the atmosphere, and near each end is a port h h', which communicate between the supplemental chamber and the chest E. This chamber g s at all times open to steam-pressure from the pipe cl. A valve-rod z in the supplemental chamber has two piston-valves j j attached. These supplemental valves are so disposed on the rod e' that when the latter is moved one way-for instance, toward the right-hand sideone valve j will first uncover the port h at one end, and thereby open" communication from the valve-chest at that end of the main valve f to the atmosphere, (see Figs. 1

nand 2,) the main valve f being at the'opposite end of the chest in its open position, and then uncover the other port h' at the said opposite end, so as to open communication from the supplemental chamber g to the valvechest E, and thereby apply steam, which will shift the main valve f to its closed position.

One of the features of `my invention is the combination of the main valve to control the passage of the steam, a supplemental valve to govern the application of steam to themain valve, and means whereby the expansion or contraction of metal due to the alternating changes of temperature' in the operation of the machine will operate said supplemental valve or Valves.

be described.

In Fig. l the arrangement is such that the expansion of the steam-Water chamber A is utilized to shift the supplemental valves to the position that closes the main valve f. A

' vertical rod F, which is not affected by the to the bottom head 0. of the chamber.

changes of temperature due to the operation of the pump, has position alongside ofthe chamber A, and the lower end of the rod is secured by a nut 7c' to a rigid arm 7c', fastened A lever G extends across and above the top head and is fulcrumed on a knife-edge pivot-bearing Z, secured on said top head. The short end Aof this lever G is connected by a knifeedge bearing Z with the upper end of the said rod F, and the long end of the lever is connected by a link m, having knife-edges, With the short arm of a bell-crank lever'IrI, whose long arm stands upright. This last lever is pivoted on a post n upon the top head of the chamber. A rod 1l connects the long arm of the bell-crank lever With the' supplemental- Valve rod 'L'. The rod F, lever Gr, and bellcrank lever I-I constitute the means (shown in Fig. 1) for shifting the supplemental valves one way. A suitable spring o is applied to the bell-crank lever and serves to force it and the supplemental valves the opposite Way. The rod F is vertically adjustable by means of the nut 7c, and thereby the supplemental valves may be properly set with respect to the ports h 7d. The end of the cross-lever G has notches, and the short arm of the bell-crank lever I-I also has notches. The link m engages at these notches. By shifting the link one Way or the other the traverse of the supplemental valves may be increased or lessened in order to cut oif the steam or turn it on when the Water-level is at the proper height in the chamberA both when discharging and filling the chamber.

A condensing water-pipe I leads from the discharge stand-pipe C into the chamber A and Within said chamber has a spray or rose discharge nozzle I', pointingupward. This pipe has an ordinary check-valve at p, which opens to permit cold water to pass from the pipe C into the steam-water chamber A to hasten the condensation of steam; but said I check-valve closes to prevent steam passing from chamber A. A cut-off valve q is also' in the pipe I to .entirely cut off the passage or regulate the amount of water admitted. In operation when the main valve fis open the steam-pressure Within the chamber Awill keep the check-valve at p closed; but in a very short interval afterthe main valve f has closed and cutoffl steam from the chamberA Means to this end will now part of the steam-waterchamberA for allowing a small volume of air to enter said chamber the moment thesteam-pressure therein has been reduced to a point below the atmospheric pressure outside; but this valve closes to prevent escape of steam.

The discharge-pipe C has attached to itby a pipe s an air-chamber L, which serves the usual function `of such chambers when ap-v plied to pumps.

The apparatus thus far described is more particularly that shown in Fig. l, and. from what has been stated the operation will be understood from the following rsum: The position of the valves in this figure is that which they have just previous to the main valve cutting off the supply of steam and when the chamberA has been nearly emptied of water. As soon as chamber A has been emptied it Will have expanded sufficiently by the heat of the steam to cause the levers to 'complete the traverse of the supplemental valves j j and thereby open the portV h to admit steam to the chest and shift the main valve f to its closed position. The reduction of steam-pressure in the chamber rapidly follows, and the check-valve at p then opens and admits a spray of water and produces a vacuum instantly, and thereuponY the valve bin the supply-pipe opens and Water flows into the chamber. The admission at this juncture of a small volume of air by the inlet-valve fr' serves to break the vacuum and prevents the Water from rising above the baffle-plate d. The filling of the chamber A With water cools it and causes its contraction and allows the long end of lever G to lower, whereupon the upright arm of the bell-crank lever H is forced to the opposite directiontoward the left-hand side-by the spring 0, (or equivalent device, such as aweight,) and this movement of said lever shiftsvthe supplemental valves so'as to open the port 7i to the atmosphere, which allows the steam in the chestEto exhaust, and the otherport 7L is then opened,-which admits steam to the chest to move the main valve fto its open position7 as shown. Steam-pressure then enters the chamber A and forces the water therein out and through valve c to the discharge-pipe C. It Will be seen that the supplemental-valve motion is positive and not induced by vacnum and that the force with which the water is driven ont of the chamber is limited only by the pressure of steam in the boiler. The

operations here described are then repeated. Fig. 2 shows a construction of levers slightly modified from that shown in Fig. 1 and which IOO IIO

IIS

enables the expansion of the chamber A to be utilized for shifting the supplemental valves one way and the contraction of the chamber to shift said valves the other way. Here the cross-lever G is fulcru med on a pivot-pin t, supported by a bearing on the top head, and is jointed at t to the upper end of the vertical rod F. The long end of the cross-lever is jointed to the short arm of bell-crank lever Il by a pivot-bolt m', which is adj ust-able in a slot a in both of said levers, the pivot-bolt being retained wherever set by a nut u'. By shifting the pivot-bolt the traverse of the supplemental valves may be increased or lessened. ln this case no spring or equivalent is employed as in Fig. 1. The rod F' in this modiiication has at its lower end two-nuts 7a2 k3, one of which is to take below a rigid arm (like that designated la' in Fig. 1) and the other above such arm. In

all essential respects the operation of this form is the same as that of the form shown in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4. shows a construction of levers like that seen inFig. 1, except that the fulcrum and knife-edge bearings are in reversed positions, as will be seen by comparison of the two figures. The eiect of this is that the contraction of the chamber A instead of the eX- pansion is utilized to shift the supplemental valves one way.

Fig. 6 shows a construction of apparatus employing two chambers A A', which till and empty alternately. The form and arrangement of levers are like that shown in Fig. 1. The main valve f is slightly different from the one seen in Fig. 1 and alternately opens and closes two ports t n', with which connect pipes w w', leading to the chambers A A'. The arrangement of check-valves b' b2 in the supply-pipe and check-valves c c2 opening to the discharge-pipe C is substantially the same as in Fig. l, only these parts are duplicated. One discharge-pipe C only is employed for both chambers. The operation of this twochamber apparatus is the same as that heretofore described for Fig. 1, except that the operations are alternated first with one chamber and then the'other, causing a continuous iiow of water from the discharge-pipe by reason of one chamber iilling while the other is discharging.

The construction of knife-edge bearings for the levers, as in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, is preferred for the reasons that there is never any lost motion by reason of wear, as the stress is always in one direction, there is a minimum of friction, and greater ease of adjustment.

It is obvious from what has been shown that my invention admits of many modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts ot' the apparatus.

Having thus described myiuvention, what I claim is- 1. vThe combination of a chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water; a rod parallel with said chamber; a main plication of steam to said main valve; and a mechanical connection between the shell lof the said` chamber and said supplemental valves whereby expansion or contraction of the chamber will operate the said supplemental valves.

3. The combination of an expansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water and whose expansion orcontraction is utilized as the motive force for operating a valve; a steam-supply pipe connecting with said chamber; valves governing the steam through said pipe; means connecting between the chamber and said valves whereby the expansion or contraction of the chamber operates the valves; a pipe orthe discharge of water from the chamber; and a condensing water pipe leading into said chamber.

4. The combination of an expansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for` steam and water and whose expansion or contraction is utilized as the motive force for operating a valve; a steam-supply pipe .connecting with said chamber; valves governing the steam through said pipe; means connecting between the chamber and said valves whereby the expansion or contraction of the chamber operates the valves; a condensing water-pipe leading into said chamber and within said chamber provided with a spraynozzle; and a check-valve in said condensing water-pipe.

5. The combination of an eXpansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water and whose expansion or contraction is utilized as the motive force for operating a valve; a steam-supply pipe connecting with said chamber; valves governing the steam through said pipe; a rod parallel with the chamber and having its lower end secured to the bottom of said chamber; a bell-crank lever one arm of which is connected with one of the valves; and a lever fulcrumed on the said chamber and having its short end connected with the upper end of said rod and its long end connected with the other arm of said bell-crank lever.

6. The combination of an eXpansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water and whose expansion or contraction is utilized as the motive force for operatinga valve a steam-supply pipe connect- IOO IOS

IIO

ing with said chamber; valves governing the steam through said pipe; ka rod parallel with the chamber and having its lower end secured to the bottom of. said chamber; a bell-crank lever one arm of which is connected with one of the valves; a lever fulerumed on the said chamber andhavin g knife-ed ge bearings connecting it with the said rod and said bellcrank lever; and a spring or equivalent device Which acts on the bell-crank leverto force it one Way.

' 7. The combination of an expansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water and Whose expansion or contraction is utilized as the motive force for operatin g a valve; a steam-supply pipe con necting with said chamber; valves governing the steam through said pipe; means connecting between the chamber and said valves Whereby the expansion 'or contraction of the chamber operates the valves; and an ai r-inlet valve attached to the upper part of the said chamber and which closes to prevent escape of steam.`

8. In a steam vacuum-pump the combinai tion of asteam-supply pipe; a main valve governing the steam through said pipe; a supplemental steam-valve controlling the movement of the main valve; and an eXpansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water and whose expansion or contraction due to the alternating changes of temperature in the operation of the machine is utilized as the motive force for operating said supplemental valve.

9. The combination of an expansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and water; a main valve which controls the passage of steam to said chamber; a supplemental valve or Valves to govern the application of steam to said main valve; a rod parallel with the chamber and practically unaffected by the alternating changes of temperature-due to the operation of the apparatus; and a mechanical connection between the shell of said chamber, the supplemental valves and said rod, whereby the expansion or contraction of said chamber will operate the supplemental valves.

l0. The combination of an eXpansible chamber having suitable inlets and outlets for steam and Water and whose expansion or contraction due to the alternating changes of j temperature in the operation of the machine,

is utilized as the motive force for operat` ing a valve; valves governing the passage of steam to said chamber; a rod parallel with the chamber and having its lower end secured by a vertical adjustment at the bottom of said chamber; levers connecting the said valves and the rod and provided with notches; and a movable Alink engaging the notches on the levers whereby the parts may be adjusted vfor timing the movement of the valves.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. EMERSON. Witnesses:

CHAPIN A. FERGUSON, CHARLES B. MANN, JR. 

